Sports

Nigeria’s Para-Powerlifters Seal Record-Breaking African Triumph With 13 Medals

Per Second NewsMay 24, 20261 Mins read572

By Samuel Akpan

Nigeria’s para-powerlifting team has delivered a dominant performance at the African Open Para-Powerlifting Championships in Oran, Algeria.

Closing out the final day of individual events with a surge of victories, the squad firmly re-established the country’s status as a powerhouse in both continental and global para-powerlifting.

The team added three more medals on the last day — two golds and one silver — while smashing both an African record and a World Record.

With these final achievements, Nigeria’s overall haul at the championships reached 13 medals: seven gold, three silver, and three bronze.

Mark Onyinyechi Gift stole the spotlight in the women’s 67kg category, producing a historic lift that broke the African record and established a new World Record.

Her performance underscored the depth of talent emerging from Nigeria in the discipline.

Folashade Oluwafemiayo continued the golden run, claiming top honours in the women’s +86kg division with a dominant display. In the women’s 50kg event, an all-Nigerian showdown produced a razor-thin result.

Ajiboye Rukayat took gold with a 115kg lift, while teammate Anigbogu Chikordi Esther secured silver after lifting 114kg in a fiercely contested battle between the two compatriots.

The outstanding results in Oran highlight Nigeria’s sustained excellence and growing dominance in para-powerlifting, both across Africa and on the international stage.